


36 Hours

by LeandraDeRaven



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Betty Cooper Loves Jughead Jones, Betty Cooper Needs a Hug, Canon Compliant, F/M, Heavy Angst, Hurt Jughead Jones, Jughead Jones Loves Betty Cooper, Limbo, Major Character Injury, Missing Scene, filling the gaps, lots of head-canons, s4 ep 16, somehow at the end, the scene we all wanted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:21:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23265376
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeandraDeRaven/pseuds/LeandraDeRaven
Summary: It's been the worst 36 Hours in her life. Not knowing if the love of her life will come back to her and the guilt eating her alive; Making her life a living hell. The only thing that was keeping her alive was hope. Hope that her love would find a way back to her and open his gorgeous blue eyes, so they could finally kick these prep's asses and hop onto a motorcycle and live their happy ever after.It was dark around him. All he could remember was Betty's voice. Betty's sweet, angelic voice was the only thing, keeping him from  being lost in this weird limbo of pain and memories he was trapped in. He had to fight. He would always  find a way back to his anchor...
Relationships: Archie Andrews/Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper & Original Charles Smith (Riverdale), Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 34
Kudos: 108
Collections: 7th Bughead Fanfiction Awards - Nominees





	36 Hours

**Author's Note:**

  * For [riverdalenerdlol](https://archiveofourown.org/users/riverdalenerdlol/gifts), [Mieteve_Minijoma](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mieteve_Minijoma/gifts).



> THE MISSING MOMENT WE ALL WANTED. (OR AT LEAST I DID)
> 
> Enjoy<3
> 
> Tumblr: LeandraDeRaven

36 Hours

  
  


“No. No, hospital.” He murmured as his eyes fluttered again.

_ He can't be serious. _

Betty shook her head, she couldn't think about that now. Right now, she had to make sure that Jughead stayed awake.

She held his face between her hands, careful not to touch his injury, and pleaded, “Jug, hey! Stay awake. Stay with me, please! Jug, hey. Stay awake, okay?” 

However, he closed his eyes and didn't open them again. No matter how hard she pleaded.

“Betty, we should call an ambulance.” Veronica piped in.

_ Alright, no time to panic, Betty, _ she thought and said, “I'm calling Charles.”

Betty didn't know why, but somehow she knew that Jughead was right and that she had to trust him. She grabbed for her phone and dialed Charles' number with shaking hands.

“Charles, it's me, I am in the woods with Jug. He's injured... Pretty bad... Please Charles, please. We need help... I need your help.”

“Okay, Betty. I'll be right there... just bring him to the edge of the woods. I'll be waiting with an ambulance.”

“Okay… okay,” She answered. She hung up and instructed Archie and Veronica on what they were about to do.

Archie and Veronica looked at her questioningly but there was no time to answer questions. All that mattered now was Jughead.

"I'll explain all later but for now, we have to take care of Jug. Archie, can you carry him? I'll walk beside you and stabilize his head." Archie just nodded and did as he was told.

“Jug, we’ve got you, you'll make it.” Archie murmured and lifted him carefully up onto his arms.

Betty held her boyfriend’s head steady as all three of them walked as fast as they could out of the woods to the spot Charles had told them to meet him. Her brain was working at high speed trying to figure this out. She had to, she couldn't lose her mind right now.

When they arrived at the spot - the old postal road - Charles was already waiting for them.

She told him quickly what exactly happened and asked Charles if he could bring Jughead to their secret bunker because it would be too dangerous for him and all of them if they brought him into a hospital. Charles told her that they could hook up monitoring machines in there and plug them into an emergency generator.

Her heart ached as she watched the paramedics put him into the ambulance. She felt helpless and wanted to scream and cry at the same time. But she couldn't. Not now. Not yet.

Betty's eyes locked with her brother's, silently begging him to take care of the man that was worth more to her than her own life... If she could turn the tables right now, she would take his place in the blink of an eye.

Charles just looked at her sympathetically and gave her an assuring nod.  _ Besides, he was also his brother, _ Betty thought, repressing the urge to jump into the ambulance with him. 

But she knew that first, she had to settle everything here.  _ Think of a plan. Protect Jughead. _

Before Charles climbed into the ambulance he said to her that they'd have to burn everything that could be evidence of the night’s events.

So they did. 

They barely talked as they went back into the woods. They took their clothes off and lit a fire.

Archie held Jughead's beanie like a precious treasure – because it truly was. It was Jug's treasure and also was now Jug's lifesaver - his iconic beanie had probably saved him from certain death... 

However, all evidence had to be burned – no exceptions. Those were Charles' orders.

It was a strange feeling because she felt nothing except the need to have everything under control. She wondered when the emotions would overwhelm her, but for now, she just felt hollow and her mind was crystal clear.

“What if he doesn't make it?” Veronica asked, paralyzed and stoic.

Those words were poison in Betty's ears. A possibility that wasn't negotiable for her.

So she squeezed her eyes shut and said loud and clear, “He will!”

“But what if he doesn’t?” Veronica asked again.

“He has to - and he will pull through this,” Betty said a little bit louder, slowly losing her composure. “If not, then we finish our senior year... After that we never speak to each other and about this night to anyone ever again. We part ways. Do it, Archie!” Betty explained and commanded.

Then Archie threw the beanie into the fire and it was like Jughead's persona was burning and vanished in the bright flames.

They got cleaned off and drove home, without saying a single word to each other. Too heavy was the leaden weight upon their souls and hearts.

Then to make matters worse, her mother caught her as she entered the house and started asking a bunch of questions because of her lack of clothes.

She couldn't handle her mother's interrogation anymore and just flew up to her room.

When she arrived it all hit her at once. The fact that Jughead almost died and she could have lost him. 

She could have done it. She didn't think she hit Jughead with the rock but she made Jughead and herself a target by her bold exposure to Donna. Maybe it was something different, she didn't know. But one way or another, they wanted Jughead dead and had almost succeeded in that.

Oh, how thankful she was that Jughead regained consciousness, even for only a moment, and told her not to go into a hospital. There they would have had the potential to finish their crappy job.

She started to hyperventilate.  _ If Jughead dies. _ She couldn't handle the thought, it was too much. It overwhelmed her and the bitter bile rose up to her body and wanted a way out. She ran and emptied the contents of her stomach into the trash in her room.

Betty quickly sent a text to Charles, asking if everything was okay and that she would come by and sleep there. Sadly, Charles told her that it was too dangerous. That’s all it took for her to realize Charles was right. 

Charles told her that Jughead was safe, that he and his crew would stay the night and he would message her if there were any changes.

She knew that her brother was right and Jughead was safe but she also knew that she wouldn't find any sleep tonight. Not with death breathing down her neck...

*

Betty... His sweet Betty... He had to come back to her, his time wasn't over. 

Even in this weird, dark place with creepy voices surrounding him - staring at him, laughing at him - he knew that. It felt awful like their junior year all over again. 

He remembered and heard the voices of everyone who's ever bullied him. His mind was playing tricks on him by manifesting his mother's voice. Hearing her blame him for leaving him and his father...

He chased around through the darkness searching for light but there was none... Just his memory of Betty. His sweet and smart Betty...

“Our time isn't over, Jug...” He remembered her words from his last near-death experience.

It wasn't. He held onto that for dear life. This wasn't the end. It couldn't be. There was so much they wanted to do and explore together... They wanted a life together and he had to make sure that they would have it.

Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones shared a bond that not even death could tear apart. He would find a way back to her. 

Like he always did. 

*

The next day was a nightmare. It was a nightmare for all of them. To act like the life of their pal and the love of her life wasn't on the line... To act completely clueless. But somehow they did it and it was the perfect illusion.

Later, back home she had to call FP and act like a normal, concerned girlfriend. Not telling his dad that his son was actually injured and fighting for his damn life was so hard but that's what Charles demanded her to do and he knew what to do in such situations.

She exhaled after the phone call and Charles told her that she acted just like she was supposed to.

She just nodded and asked the only thing she cared for, “How's Jug, Charles? When can I see him? I need to see him. Please, Charles?” She pleaded, on the verge of crying.

“No change. He’s still unconscious but we won't give up hope,” Charles answered honestly and gave her a look of sympathy.

Now, Betty couldn't hold the tears anymore. She held her palm over her mouth and her stomach to suppress them but she just couldn't. Charles was by her side and pulled her into a tight hug. 

“I'm sorry, I am so sorry. I just don't know if I can keep this up without seeing him. He needs me. He needs to know that I am there for him. He needs to know that I won't give up on him," she declared and sniffed. 

“I won't give up on him.” She repeated and added, “Jug is all alone in that bunker. He is probably scared.” Her brother gave her another sympathetic look.

“He is Charles! He might be unconscious but he's still alive and he knows when we're there. He'll know when I am there!” She stated determinedly, holding her brother's worried gaze.

Charles simply nodded and said, “Sneak out of the window when everyone is asleep tonight. But, you have to wait as long as you can until you're sure that literally everyone is asleep. You can't get caught. Then you can stay with him until right before dawn.”

“Yes, yes I will, Charles. Thank you!” She cracked out and another wave of hot tears overwhelmed her.

She fell into her brother's hug, seeking for any sort of comfort and heard him murmur, “He's going to be alright, Betty. He's stubborn. He won't leave you.”

She smiled at that and said, “He really is.”

*

He didn't know how long he had been hauling and chasing through the darkness. He tried to not let the scary voices and memories get into his head and tried to focus on visions and memories of the love of his life. But the most prominent memories which gave him the most solace were of Betty.

Honestly, he never thought he would've been so lucky to date Betty Cooper and that his feelings would be reciprocated. He thought he would pine over her until he died. But life – or maybe even fate – had other plans and he was never more grateful in his entire life. He would forever be grateful for the leap of faith he took when he kissed Betty Cooper. 

A kiss and moment that turned his life upside down in the best way possible. He never thought he could love someone like he loved Betty Cooper. It was all consuming but at the same time it felt like he was breathing and living for the very first time.

The two times they broke up were the two stupidest things they'd ever done and the hardest times they ever had - apart from each other - just like now. Being apart from his anchor, his other half was... It was his very own purgatory. 

But he would find a way back to her. He just had to. Their story wasn't finished yet. He hasn’t even worked up the balls to ask her to marry him yet.

_ Which I will someday... _

If he was going to be married to anyone, it would be to Betty Cooper. That was as much a part of his destiny as being a writer... 

He just needed the perfect moment and maybe some financial stability. To build a home for them, to be the man for her that she deserved. To be able to give her the family that she deserved.

She must be worried sick right now. He had to fight for her -  **for them** \- and find a way out of this damned hell. But he didn't know how when all he saw was darkness. He was trapped in darkness and concrete walls, like he was in a casket. Buried alive. 

_ Feels familiar _ , he thought sarcastically. He remembered that time as if it were yesterday. And just like back then, he remembered what kept him sane. 

Betty. 

The key to everything good in his life was Betty.

As if it was a sign, he suddenly heard her voice, “Juggie. I'm here, you're not alone. You'll find a way back to me, I know that." 

He closed his eyes for a moment replacing the sardonic laughter to relish in the divine sound of his other half. 

Jughead opened his eyes, knowing that he would go on and follow her voice until he found a way back to her. 

  
  
  


*

  
  


_ In the middle of the night... _

Somehow Betty managed to sneak out without being noticed by anyone. She couldn't wait to see him. She just missed him so much.

As soon as she climbed down, she could hear the beeping sounds of the monitors. It strangely calmed her state of mind. Maybe because it was a piece of clear and rational evidence that her beloved was still alive 

Charles was already waiting for her and said, “Hey, he's all set up until dawn. We'll give you some privacy.” 

She nodded and after one last concerned look toward Jughead and a reassuring squeeze on Betty's shoulder, he made his way out of the bunker.

Betty was scared to get closer to him because she was scared to lose her composure. Jughead didn't need a whiny, weak girlfriend right now. She needed to be strong for the both of them.

She exhaled deeply, wiped her tears away and went forward to her boyfriend.

“Hey Jug.” She greeted smilingly cupping his cheek. “Sorry that it took me so long, I had to get some things done in order to keep you safe.” She apologized. 

Usually, his eyes would softly flutter and a small smile would play around his lips the moment he heard her voice trying to wake him. But now, there was no response and it broke her.

She took a moment to take in all of his surroundings. There were only a couple of hoses: one for his heart monitor and one for his IV. Betty decided to be careful and lay herself beside Jughead gently. 

She knew how much he loved it. To be close to her, to just feel her skin against his... Truth be told, Jughead's chest was always Betty's favorite choice of pillow.

“I love laying with you like this, Juggie. It always gives me the most comfort I could ever ask for. Usually, there is always this noise in my head, this thumping sound that is constantly there, not allowing my mind to rest. But when I am with you, my mind is clear. I can see things as they are and they aren't overwhelming anymore. My mind is sharp and calm. It has always been like this – since the very beginning – I still remember our first kiss as it was yesterday,” she said, smiling as she continued, “You caught me pretty off guard but at the same time, I never felt more safe and secured. That's when my mind went calm, for the first since forever, and that is why the idea with the car plopped into my head. I bruised your ego a bit but you still weren't annoyed by it. But that kiss Juggie... It changed my life. It gave me a home, a safe haven. One thing I realized I had never had before. I thought I had it, but I never did.”

She felt tears prick in her eyes and tried to suppress them. But her grief, combined with those comforting memories, were just too much to bear. Nobody is going to see her anyway and Jughead knows her better than anyone. He knew her at her most vulnerable time so who cares if she cried...

The tears were streaming freely as she continued to dwell in those comforting memories. 

“You were always there when my world fell apart and helped to put it back together. You were always there when no one else was. Come back to me, Jug. Our story has not ended... It's so far from ending. We were supposed to drive to New York together after graduation to see the city once before we left. We were supposed to move to Connecticut together: solving crimes and eating pizza all day. You would go to Yale... and I... I would do something else... but that doesn't matter, not as long as we were together... So you have to wake up for us, okay?” She begged him, cupping his cheeks and kissing him lightly. 

She looked at him closely, wanting nothing more than for him to open his blue eyes again. She caressed his cheek and then snuggled her face softly towards his, cautious not to touch his head injury and whispered softly, “Juggie. I'm here, you're not alone. You'll find a way back to me. I know that." 

She kissed his lips softly and repeated, “I know that.”

Betty wanted to stay awake the whole night and read some of his favorite stories to him. However, her eyes were too heavy and the tiredness too overwhelming so she just fell asleep beside her beloved, listening to the soothing sound of his pounding heart.

  
  


*

_ The next day... _

Saying goodbye to Jug was hard, but thankfully she was able to convince Charles to allow her to come back this evening. 

Jughead had been unconscious for over 24 hours now and with every passing hour it made the chances for him to gain his consciousness back lower. 

But Betty didn't lose hope. His brain just needed to rest and to heal. He got hit pretty hard and was even possibly dead for a few seconds - or at least they thought so.  _ Maybe we were just too shook up or too dumb to check his pulse correctly... _ Betty thought.

She also thought about letting FP in, it was cruel to let him in the belief that his son might've died... But she couldn't do it... at least not yet.

Betty almost changed her mind when FP found Jughead's phone in her coat pocket. But it would be just too dangerous for all of them. Thankfully, she was able to make up some excuse and FP and her mother brought it.

After that, she lied that she had to stop by at Veronica's for homework and made her way to the bunker...

She decided not to tell Archie and Veronica either... Maybe it was a selfish decision - at least in regards to Archie - but she just wanted to spend time with Jughead alone. She wanted to be the one he would see first when he opened his eyes again.  _ He would. There is no other possible outcome. He would come back to her again. _

When she arrived at the bunker, the staff members Charles placed with were washing him. They treated him like he wasn't even a human, just tossing and turning him around lovelessly. 

She couldn't stand it and just flipped, “Get away from him! You are not being careful enough! He has a severe head injury and is your bosses brother.”

“Ma'am we're just doing our job.” One of the men said defensively.

“You're not doing it right! Get away from him, you are hurting him!” Betty yelled and shoved them towards the entrance.

The men just held their hands up in defeat and left the bunker. She walked over to him and moved him gently into a proper position.

“Hey, Juggie. I am here now. I am going to wash you,” Betty whispered and grabbed the washcloth. Then she dunked the cloth into the bowl of water and began to clean him. 

“Sorry for not being here earlier. Your father kind of caught me off guard... I really don't know how long I am going to be able to keep it up, Juggie,” Betty admitted quietly.

“Your father is really worried and, honestly, so am I. I just need you to wake up, okay?” She spoke further, while she washed him very carefully.

She knew he couldn't respond yet, but she just needed to talk to him. Even if they have seen each other multiple times naked, this was different. Usually, when she touched him, his eyes went soft and she wanted nothing more than to see them again. “I brought some of your favorite Lovecraft stories and I am going to read them for you. I think that you might be in some scary place. So it might help get you out of that place you are in now."

When she was finished washing him, she redressed him softly and gave him a tender kiss. Then she laid herself beside him again and began to read. 

  
  


*

  
  


Her voice was more prominent now. He just had to run and would find the way to her. Jughead couldn't help but smile, when he recognized what story she was reading from. Of course - his smart Nancy Drew meets the girl with the dragon tattoo - chose to read him 'Beyond the Wall of Sleep',” Classic choice and very fitting. 

Suddenly, he was struck with an epiphany. It hit him like a bolt of lightning and his mind was crystal clear. Their minds were always clearer when they worked together. 

This limbo. It was his choice. If he just focused on her and on the life they will have together, he could break through it. He had to realize that he was still in control. Somehow like in 'Inception' but a little bit more spiritual. 

So he exhaled deeply, trying to mute the other voices and visions because they were just in his head. He tried to focus on all the good moments the two of them shared and all the ones that were still to come. Like moving in together, getting married, having their first child... One just as beautiful and smart as his Betty was. 

Her voice became louder and louder. Her touch became more and more prominent. The shady voices around him distorted more and more, becoming unrecognizable illusions. Whereas her celestial voice became more and more his reality. 

After some last disturbing sounds and visions, his mind was only filled with delightful pictures and memories of Betty's happy laughter - which was quite rare - he reminded himself and settled a mental note to change that in the future, illuminating him and dragging him out of the darkness.

  
  


*

  
  


“ _In a week or two it had visibly faded, and in the course of a few months it was hardly discernible with the naked eye,”_ Betty spoke loud and clearly the last words of one of Jug's favorite short stories.

“Marry me...” She heard a murmur and her head snapped upwards.

There they were, her very own source of life. His blue eyes looking at her, the ones she would always get lost in them... like that of a deep ocean of emotions...

She couldn't help but cry happily as she kissed him.

FIN – 36 hours (The Aftermath) Is following soon...

**Author's Note:**

> Hey my lovely buggies,
> 
> here is a missing piece I think we all wanted to see in the show. It's canon divergence tagged because of the Ending:) AND no worries, 36 Hours (The Aftermath) is coming soon.
> 
> Please let me know what you think since this was new territory for me. I Usually write AU's as you might know!
> 
> Thank you to my power betas @mieteve-minijoma and @riverdalenerdlol ! LOVE YOU Ladies!
> 
> Hope you enjoy!
> 
> LOVE AND HUGS


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